Wheel of Life
by eshesh
Summary: A series of very short pieces charting the course of my favorite relationship: Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. Some chapters fluffy, some angsty, all following roughly the same structure. RLNT
1. 1 Watching

_A/N: A series of very short pieces charting the course of my favorite relationship: Remus and Tonks. Some will be fluffy; some very angsty. All following roughly the same structure. SPOILER FREE for Deathly Hallows until the last chapter or two, when I will warn you. _

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**Watching**

He watched her laugh over the Christmas crackers, pulling one with Ron on her left and then with Ginny on her right. She clapped on one of the silly hats and shook her head to set the bells jingling. Catching his eye, she tossed him her other hat. Admiral Lupin, sailing uncharted seas.

Later, in the sitting room, he watched her drink mulled mead and sing off-key carols with Harry and Sirius. Her head turned towards him. She nudged Harry, and suddenly the two of them were laughing and pulling him to the piano. As he played, she leaned down to add a one-fingered duet.

As it grew late, he watched her with the Weasley twins, charming pinecones and pitching them into the hearth. They blazed with flames of red and green, silver and gold. With a grin, she tossed a pinecone to him and tilted her head towards the fireplace. He threw it in and saw pink and green licks of fire.

He watched as she rose to leave amidst yawning and Christmas wishes. She walked to the door and he followed. Taking her cloak from her, he stepped behind her to slip it over her shoulders. Above the velvet collar of her robes, her pink hair fell in tendrils along the back of her neck. He lifted his hand and gently brushed at the hair. Ran his fingers over the soft skin above her collar. She leaned her head back and smiled.

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_A/N: I'm not normally a fluffy kind of person, but I kind of liked this for the beginning of their relationship. I plan at least five of these short pieces. I have the second one already written and will post it soon._

_On to the next chapter!  
_


	2. 2 Wondering

_A/N: Second in the series. Still SPOILER FREE for Deathly Hallows.  
_

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**Wondering**

She wondered how he seemed to know whenever she walked through the front door at Grimmauld Place. She'd step in to find him ducking out of a doorway into the hall, intent on some nameless errand from parlour to library, or from library to kitchen. He'd grin a casual welcome and step behind her to lift off her cloak, his knuckles brushing the nape of her neck.

Occasionally she wondered when he had learned how she took her tea, and how he always managed to have it ready for her when she came yawning down to breakfast. He'd bring her the steaming cup, holding it until it was secure in her clumsy hands before he slipped his warm fingers out from beneath her own.

After she had stumbled for a third time on the uneven pavement, she wondered if what he was feeling was exasperation or something else entirely. He'd taken hold of her hand without a word, lacing his fingers tightly through her own. They'd continued on their way without another mishap, hands entwined; he didn't let go when they arrived at their destination.

She wondered if he had thought to surprise her, that night. She'd stormed into the parlour, out of patience with life's petty irritations, complaining about the Ministry, a disastrous stakeout, the foul weather. He had cupped her face in his hands and kissed her in mid-tirade. She wondered if he had really thought to surprise her, because she'd seen it coming for a long time.

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_A/N: Yeah, yeah, I know. Another fluffy one. But I'm thinking the next one won't be all that cheerful._

_I value all feedback! If you comment, I'd appreciate it if you could try to avoid DH spoilers. :)  
_


	3. 3 Waiting

_A/N: Goodbye, fluff. Hello, angst!  
_

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**Waiting**

He waited at her bedside. Perched on a hard chair, cradling one of her pale hands, he let the hospital noises wash over him: the dry tick of a clock, the squeak of trolley wheels, hurrying footsteps. The evidence of his own anguish, not yet suppressed, escaped him in hitching gasps. But he knew, all too well, how to make a safe place to hold this grief for Sirius. With each indrawn breath, he raised again its stony walls, with each exhalation he squeezed it tighter, until Sirius could be tucked away once more into a remote corner of his mind. And so he was ready when Tonks's eyes fluttered open; he was ready with gentle words, and reassurances, and a shoulder to cry on.

He waited in his cramped room at the Hog's Head, even as he drew her close. The length of her body was hot against him, soft lips parted beneath his, she yielded to his touch and his tongue. Still, a part of him waited. Waited for her to pull away, to reconsider, to stammer an apology. And she did step back, as he'd known she must. Then with a swift motion, she pulled her T-shirt over her head and dropped it on the floor. Looking up through tousled hair, she grinned. "What are you waiting for, Remus, a written invitation?"

He waited until he'd upended the last drops from the bottle into their wineglasses. She was curled under his arm on her faded settee, warm and relaxed. Staring into his glass, with his own ruby reflection trembling back at him, he spoke haltingly of their responsibilities to the Order, of Dumbledore's fears, of Voldemort's growing influence. Dragging his gaze from the wine, he met her eyes. "An emissary to the werewolves might counteract**—** And Dumbledore feels**—** So I've**— **I've accepted that mission".

He waited for her to fall asleep. Sitting by the hearth, he watched the dancing flames flicker across her beautiful face. He waited until the heat of the fire dried the tears from her cheeks. Taking up his worn satchel, he let himself out of her flat. He eased the door closed so that it made no sound at all.

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_A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this new installment in my very mini series! If so, please, please review. I get ridiculously tickled by attention. This chapter and the next will probably be fairly angsty. I tried to avoid melodrama, but I'm not a very experienced writer, the total production from my entire writing life is posted here at fanfiction . net .  
_

___And speaking of experience (skip this paragraph if you don't want to hear me whine), I'm a shockingly slow writer, so I've been sticking with very short pieces, thinking that'll speed me up. Problem is, the shorter the piece, the more important each word seems to be. Doh! So I find myself writing, and rewriting, and rewriting... Now I'm thinking of doing a larger, multi-chaptered piece (R/T, natch). Yikes! That means a whole new problem--plot! How will I do it? Do you think I should find a beta? Or maybe a slave driver would work better? Please give me the benefit of your wisdom._


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